The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-04-13
THE ST. AUGUSTINE FIRE
DESTROYS THE OLD SPANISH
CATHEDRAL,
Together With Other Buildings
Seventy-six Guests OF a
Hotel Escape.

BosToE, MASS, April IA dis
patch from s.. Augustine, Fla, dated
today. says: The st Augu,tiBe Hotel
took fire at 2:30 o'clock this morning |
and was destroyed. The old slave
market is also gone, and the ancient
cathedral is in flames. The Edwards
Hotel and half q dc zen small buildings
are also on fire, and it seems newt.
able that the Florida House and the
opera h1use must go. The danger of
the destruction of the whole town,
from the Plaza to the city gate, is i'm
minent. All of the seventy-six guests
at the st. Augustine got out in safety,
as did also all the help OF that house
and thu guests and servants OF the
Edwf rds House.
Later.-The FIRE has been stopped at
Treasury street, and the main portion
Of the town Is safe. The county court.
house and Vedder's Museum were de.
stroyed. All the county records were
removed to a place of safety, but many
valuable papere in the hands of law
yers who had offices in the county
building were destroyed. The tele-
graph wires to all points are at present
dows, but an early establishment of
Communication Ia anticipated. There
were no New England people in the
St Augustine Hotel, nor was there
the slightest accident to any one OF it's
seventy-six guests, although it is re-
ported that a colored scrub woman
lost her life by running back into the
servants quarters for her effects.
But little property here 10 in
sured, SIS the buildings in
the town are mainly OF
wood compactly built, and the place is
provided with one third class steam
fire engine. The average rate of in
surance seems to be 81 per cent, and
this has operated as a proscriptive
tariff. The destruction of the wire al
an early stage OF the fire prevented q
call from being made on Jacksonville
for assistance, and it was not unit
nearly 5 o'clock that a special train
was ordered to proceed to Jacksonville
for help. Before steam could be 20,
up in the locomotive, however, it wa
evident that the local department wai
able to cope with the danger. So the
order was finally countermanded. The
loss on the st. Augustine Hotel Ii
$l00, 900. The insurance expired with
in twenty-four hours before the fire.
THE L CATHEDRAL DESTROYED.
JACKSONVILLE, FLA, April ia
fire in st. Augustine this morning de
stroyed the st. Augustine Hotel, thu
old Spanish Cathedral, Edwards's Ho
tel, the courthouse, the Sinclair Block
Chamb srlsin's store, Mrs. Calls resi-
dence and Welter's Hotel. The los
amounts to $250,000.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT OF THE l
JACKsoNvILLs, FLA, April 18.-A
Times. Union st. Augustine specia
gives a full account of the fire Their
this morning. The alarm was givel
at S:l5 O'Clock am. for a blaze in tn
: laundry of tbs st. Augustine Hotel
The flames spread rapidly to tn
kitchen and then to ths main part Q
I the building. The FIRE Department
consisted only of a hook and ladde
truck and one steam engine, and
was impossible to do anything to saw
the hotel, which was already wrappe'
in flames. The guests, numberin
Ninety, and the forty servants, wit
the execution Of one laundry woman
Bridget Barry, escaped. The fame
8 then communicated to the Edward
. House, "The Cottage" the Painter
House and the Florida House. Tn
l. buildings to go were the First Nations
! Bank and one of the Oldest landmark
y in the city-the old parish Cathedra
g Just west Of st. Augustine House
:, The roof caught and Econ fe ], destroy
ing all The historic relics in the interioi
8 The old chimes fell, too, their lst
: work being the alarm which Sun
moned the citisens to the scene OF. col
fl .gratian. AT this time the east wa
y OF the St. Augustine House fell, carr.
g ing the flames to the Sinclair bloc
:. in which were stores and shops. A
II were completely destroyed. Return
s ing to the west eide OF the street I'll
y fl mes reached the old County Cour
l. house on the north, which was total
9 destroyed. The records, howeve
d were removed and saved. Saver
residences and small buildings WEI
+ a'so destroyed. At 1880 the fire vi
under c. utrol. The losses will aggr
! gate $250,00 The old Cathedral WI
g built in 1893, and was in use for pu
o poses of worship up to the time of |
l. destruction. Bridget Barry was tt
D. only person whose life was lost. 81
3 escaped early, but returned to ga
l. clothing, and was not seen sfterW ar
o